Francis de Sales Quotes

60 Sourced Quotes

Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength.

Francis de Sales
Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you.... Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs.

Francis de Sales
Those who love to be feared fear to be loved, and they themselves are more afraid than anyone, for whereas other men fear only them, they fear everyone.

Francis de Sales
There are no galley-slaves in the royal vessel of divine love—every man works his oar voluntarily!

Francis de Sales
The elephant, not only the largest but the most intelligent of animals, provides us with an excellent example. It is faithful and tenderly loving to the female of its choice, mating only every third year and then for no more than five days, and so secretly as never to be seen, until, on the sixth day, it appears and goes at once to wash its whole body in the river, unwilling to return to the herd until thus purified. Such good and modest habits are an example to husband and wife.

Francis de Sales
You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working ; and just so you learn to love God and man by loving. All those who think to learn in any other way deceive themselves.

Francis de Sales
It is not those who commit the least faults who are the most holy, but those who have the greatest courage, the greatest generosity, the greatest love, who make the boldest efforts to overcome themselves, and are not immediately apprehensive about tripping.

Francis de Sales
The damned are in the abyss of Hell, as within a woeful city, where they suffer unspeakable torments, in all their senses and members, because as they have employed all their senses and their members in sinning, so shall they suffer in each of them the punishment due to sin.

Francis de Sales
Lately I was near the beehives and some of the bees flew onto my face. I wanted to raise my hand, and brush them off. 'No,' said a peasant to me, 'do not be afraid, and do not touch them. They will not sting you at all, if you touch them they will bite you.' I trusted him; not one bit me. Trust me; do not fear these temptations. Do not touch them; they will not hurt you.

Francis de Sales
It is the mark of a mean, vulgar and ignoble spirit to dwell on the thought of food before meal times or worse to dwell on it afterwards, to discuss it and wallow in the remembered pleasures of every mouthful. Those whose minds dwell before dinner on the spit, and after on the dishes, are fit only to be scullions.

Francis de Sales
One great remedy against all manner of temptation, great or small, is to open the heart and lay bare its suggestion, likings, and dislikings before some spiritual adviser; for,... the first condition which the Evil One makes with a soul, when he wants to entrap it, is silence.

Francis de Sales
Let the enemy rage at the gate; let him knock, pound, scream, howl; let him do his worst. We know for certain that he cannot enter our soul except by the door of our consent.

Francis de Sales
Have Jesus always for your patron, His Cross for a mast on which you must spread your resolutions as a sail. Your anchor shall be a profound confidence in Him, and you shall sail prosperously.

Francis de Sales
We may be excused for not always being bright, but we are not excused for not being gracious, yielding and considerate.

Francis de Sales
How are you to meet the swarm of foolish attachments, triflings, and undesirable inclinations which beset you? By turning sharply away, and thoroughly renouncing such vanities, flying to the Saviour's Cross, and clasping His Crown of thorns to your heart, so that these little foxes may not spoil your vines. Beware of entering into any manner of treaty with the Enemy; do not delude yourself by listening to him while intending to reject him.

Francis de Sales
He who can preserve gentleness amid pains, and peace amid worry multitude of affairs, is almost perfect.

Francis de Sales
The state of marriage is one that requires more virtue and constancy than any other; it is a perpetual exercise in mortification.

Francis de Sales
Though perseverance does not come from our power, yet it comes from within our power.

Francis de Sales
Do not complain then of your poverty, my daughter, - we only complain of that which is unwelcome, and if poverty is unwelcome to you, you are no longer poor in spirit.

Francis de Sales
When charity requires it we must freely and mildly communicate to our neighbor not only what is his instruction, but also what is profitable for his consolation.

Francis de Sales
Big fires flare up in a wind, but little ones are blown out unless they are carried in under cover.

Francis de Sales
To live according to the spirit is to love according to the spirit.

Francis de Sales
Many would be willing to have afflictions provided that they not be inconvenienced by them.

Francis de Sales
It has been well said, that heart speaks to heart, whereas language only speaks to the ears.

Francis de Sales
Nothing appeases an enraged elephant so much as the sight of a little lamb.

Francis de Sales